


Wisdom, Courage, Friendship: An EarthBound Novelization

by MetroidMan101



Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adaptation, F/M, Featuring Mother 1, Gen, Novelization, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:27:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28993677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MetroidMan101/pseuds/MetroidMan101
Summary: A boy from Eagleland is awakened by the call of adventure and sets out to defeat the forces of evil. This adaptation includes several reinterpretations of key events and characters, so hopefully it'll still be an interesting read for fans who are already familiar with the story. Featuring characters and plot elements from Mother 1, as well!Crossposted from FanFiction.
Relationships: Ness / Paula Polestar
Kudos: 7





	1. The Disturbance

**INTRODUCTION: The Night it Began**

**Chapter 1: The Disturbance**

Ness was awakened just as abruptly as sleep had come, shooting up in bed when the foundations of his house- and what felt like the entire _world_ \- rattled around him. For a moment he wondered if an earthquake had struck, but he soon became aware of a distinct crashing noise in the distance, as if something had exploded. He was no expert, but he was pretty sure earthquakes didn’t sound like that.

The tremors stopped after a few seconds, and all was silent again save for his startled gasps. In fact, the rumbling had been so swift that he wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t been dreaming until he heard police sirens outside. Whatever had happened, it had gotten attention.

Rubbing his eyes, Ness climbed out of bed and stumbled toward the door to his room. His heart was pounding after that, and he knew he wouldn’t be getting back to sleep any time soon. Not that it mattered much, it was only around 10:30 and summer had just begun in western Eagleland. He didn’t have any plans for the next morning, either.

 _“Might as well go see what’s up,”_ he thought to himself.

Light shone under his door, indicating that he wasn’t the only one awake. Upon opening it and stepping into the hallway he came across a blonde-haired girl about three quarters his height, dressed in soft pink pajamas.

“Tracy, did you hear that too?”

His little sister looked even drowsier than he felt, offering a brief nod in reply.

“Are you gonna go look? What if it’s the Demogorgon?”

He sighed. Tracy had become a fanatic for some fantasy board game recently and was making constant reference to it.

“Aliens or monsters or whatever aren’t real,” Ness replied flatly. “Go back to bed, I’ll just be gone for a few minutes. Don’t tell Mom I left, okay?”

“Fine,” she pouted. “But if you get eaten, don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

He tiptoed down the stairs to the first floor of their home as quietly as he could, wincing every time a step creaked under his weight. If he wanted to investigate, he’d have to make sure he wasn’t caught on the way outside.

“Oh, Ness! Are you going somewhere?”

So much for being inconspicuous. His mother was standing in the living room with an amused look on her face. Like Tracy, she had wavy, golden hair. She was also in her nightgown, but didn’t have her slippers on. Ness wondered why she’d even left her room; she clearly didn’t intend to go out.

“Yeah… that loud noise woke me up, so I wanted to see what was going on.”

Inwardly he was already planning his escape route for when she told him to go back to bed. His window was too high up to jump, but there was a tree not far from it that he could reasonably leap to-

“Alright, you can go. I’m sure you’ll just try to sneak out anyway if I say no,” she said, interrupting his plan. His mother had an understanding look on her face, but also seemed to be resisting a laugh.

“Though… perhaps you should change first.”

He looked at himself and understood what she meant. His blue- and white-striped pajamas and bare feet were hardly appropriate for the occasion, and his short black hair was a mess. With a meek nod, he ran back upstairs to his room.

A few minutes later, Ness emerged wearing an outfit he’d picked somewhat at random. His blue- and yellow-striped shirt and lighter blue shorts weren’t the best match in the world, but for a quick nighttime run he didn’t care much. He slipped into his red and white sneakers and grabbed the one accessory he would always wear no matter the outfit: his red baseball cap. Putting it on over his (somewhat) combed hair, he was ready to go. His mother was still downstairs and waved goodbye to him as he left the house.

The nighttime air, normally cool in early summer, was tinged with a mild warmth and the smell of something burning in the distance. Ness turned his gaze southeast, toward the path into town, and felt the urge to roll his eyes when he saw a stray police car parked there, with the officer setting up wooden roadblocks to prevent anyone from passing. Of course he was doing that; the Onett Police Department would block the roads if a parking meter went unpaid. Residents of the town theorized that either the police were constantly bored out of their minds or going for the world record of having the most roadblocks.

He could hear more sirens from the opposite direction and looked at the hill west of his house. Red and blue flashes of light were near the top of it, alongside a strange orange glow. He was too far down to get a closer look, so he began to hike up the trail toward the source.

Ness had to be careful on his way up, as more officers were stationed along the path. He remained hidden in the shrubbery to bypass them, though in hindsight he wondered if it was really necessary; most of them seemed too tired and grumpy to care about stopping citizens that far down the hill. Nevertheless, he felt he was better safe than sorry.

Toward the hill’s summit he came across the only person who lived that far on the outskirts of Onett, a kooky old man by the name of Lier X. Agerate. His disheveled blue clothing and dirty gray beard, on top of his overall sketchy demeanor, made him a person to generally be avoided. Regrettably, it seemed that the cover of bushes was no match for his eyesight.

“Ness, buddy!” he cackled. “How’re ya doin’? Did you hear that huge ‘BOOM’ too? I bet it scared everyone else to death, but not me ‘cause I eat my garlic and work out a lot!”

“Uh… yeah, I’m going to check it out,” Ness replied, not stopping to chat. Lier didn’t attempt further conversation, which he was immensely grateful for.

The most police activity was near the top, where an impassible barricade of squad cars had been parked on the trail. A group of officers milled about, occasionally speaking into their radios.

_“Shoot, it doesn’t seem like I can sneak past them…”_

“Hey kid, get outta here!”

He flinched at the call, but soon realized that it hadn’t been directed at him. When Ness saw who _was_ on the receiving end of it, he almost wished it had been.

Standing with the police was another boy Ness’s age, but the similarities between them ended there. Pokey Minch, his longtime neighbor, was easily the last person he wanted to see. Dressed in blue overalls and a white shirt that both strained under his _generous_ proportions, the blond-haired boy was often called “Porky” for obvious reasons. He was without question everyone at school’s least favorite person, and Ness might have felt sorry for him if he wasn’t so unbearable. Pokey didn’t exactly try to make himself more appealing to others.

Any chance of going unnoticed by his neighbor was ruined when one of the officers spotted Ness as well and gave an exasperated sigh.

“Not another one. Get your friend away from here, this place ain’t safe for kids!”

Pokey turned to look at him, and his chubby face stretched into a smug grin.

“Ness? Don’t be rubberneckin’, you’ll just get in the way for the cops- oops, ‘officers.’ Are you here to see it too?”

He realized that he had no idea what was even at the top of the hill.

“See what?”

“The _meteorite,_ of course! I saw it fall with my own eyes! It came from the sky and landed right above us!”

His eyes narrowed at the boy’s obnoxious snorts of laughter.

“How did you get out here? Did your parents let you come?”

“Pffft, nah,” Pokey replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. “They’re out at some fancy restaurant and won’t be back ‘til really late. When I heard somethin’ was going on here, I decided to come take a look myself. Picky’s still at home, watching the place until I get back.”

Ness’s unamused frown only curved further downwards. Pokey’s younger brother was about Tracy’s age, as well as the only decent person in the Minch family. Had it not been for Picky, he might have wished for the so-called meteorite to have landed on his neighbor’s house. Hearing that he was alone didn’t sit right with Ness, but there wasn’t much he could do. Muttering to himself, he did an about-face to walk back home. The police were still refusing to let him or Pokey through, after all.

“Don’t worry, buddy!” came a yell from behind him. “I’ll tell you all about the meteorite tomorrow!”

His mother was waiting outside their house once he finally returned.

“Welcome back, Ness. Did you find out what happened?”

“Pokey’s up there,” he muttered. “He says a meteorite landed, but the police got there before us. We can’t see it ourselves.”

She gave him a patient smile.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Why don’t you go back to bed? Maybe it’ll be on the news tomorrow.”

The walk had at least made him tired again, so he nodded and trudged back upstairs to his room. Ness haphazardly changed into his pajamas and flopped onto the bed, falling asleep in mere moments.

* * *

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK._

Once again a loud bang startled him from his slumber. This time, however, it was followed by a series of even louder ones. Someone was pounding on the house’s door in a random pattern and wasn’t stopping. He tried to cover his ears with the pillow to no avail. A bleary-eyed glance at his clock revealed that it was around one in the morning.

_“Ugh, who the heck is-“_

Ness didn’t even have to finish that thought. He only knew one person obnoxious enough to knock on the door in such a way. Growling, he marched out of his room and down the stairs. His mom had also entered the hallway too, looking just as irritated.

“I’ll get it, you can go back to bed,” she said.

“Don’t bother, I’m gonna punch Pokey in the face,” he replied, tightening his fists as he approached the still banging door.

He flung it open, fully intent on doing just that. His portly neighbor was on the other side with sweat dripping down his face.

“P-Picky’s gone!” he blurted out just as Ness was about to strike.

Though still infuriated, he refrained from punching him.

“What do you mean? What happened?”

Pokey took a deep breath to try and compose himself.

“Right, I brought Picky up the hill to… oh, good evening Mrs. Harris. You’re looking _lovely_ , as usual.”

He was looking at his mother inside the house with a snicker. She shared Ness’s unamused glare at the insincerity of his comment.

“Anyway,” Pokey continued, “I decided to bring Picky up to see the meteorite. I thought there was a way to sneak past the cops, but by the time we made it up the hill they were gone. The Sharks were _really_ going wild in town, so they all left to take care of it. When I turned my back for a second, Picky disappeared and I don’t know where is now! I blame the cops, it definitely wasn’t _my_ fault.”

He buried his face in his hands.

“Oh man, my parents are getting home soon! I know I’m gonna get it this time! You’re my bestest friend, right Ness? Come on, help me find him!”

As much as he wanted to shut the door to let Pokey face the music, he felt worried about his brother. The Sharks were Onett’s local gang, and despite their ridiculous outfits they were a legitimate danger to anyone roaming around at night. Picky being alone in the woods with them nearby could only mean trouble.

“…alright, fine. I’ll come with you. Let me just get dressed first.”

And that was how the night everything would change for him began.


	2. A Mysterious Visitor

**Chapter 2: A Mysterious Visitor**

Reluctantly inviting Pokey inside to wait in their living room, Ness ran back upstairs and threw on the same outfit as before. This time, wary of an unfriendly encounter, he also grabbed the first weapon he could find: a wooden baseball bat he’d used when playing on his middle school’s team the year before. It had a long crack down the middle from a game-winning home run, to date his proudest achievement. Sentimental value aside, he’d need a new bat soon; this one looked like it would break under too much force.

Tracy met him in the hallway, holding something out to him. It was a cookie, wrapped in tin foil. Where she’d been hiding it beforehand, he didn’t care to ask.

“You’re going out again, aren’t you? Take this in case you get hungry,” she said with a sweet smile.

Grinning and ruffling her hair, he accepted the cookie and put it into his pocket.

“Thanks, Sis. I’m sure this won’t take long. Go back to bed, it’s late.”

“Don’t get eaten by the Demogorgon!” she called as he walked down the stairs. Ness chuckled and rolled his eyes.

“Finally! I thought you fell asleep up there!”

His good mood was vaporized upon seeing Pokey again, lounging on their futon in front of the TV. He jumped to his feet- with a noticeable “thud” against the carpet- and strolled over to Ness’s side.

“Great, let’s blow this popsicle stand! Why don’t you say goodbye to your mom first, huh buddy?”

His mother ignored Pokey and pointed toward the corner of their kitchen.

“I know he’s unreliable, but I think you should bring King with you. He might be able to help you find Picky.”

Resembling a large blob of white fur, their lazy sheepdog was fast asleep. He seemed to sense that he was needed and dragged himself to his feet. King trotted over to them with a resigned huff.

“Be careful out there,” Ness’s mother said as they headed toward the door. “I know you can handle yourself, I just can’t help but worry.”

“I’ll be fine,” he reassured her as Pokey and King filed out behind him. All was quiet outside, with the police sirens no longer blaring. The meteorite’s glow could still be seen even from the bottom of the hill.

“Let’s do this!” his neighbor cheered. “You take the lead, and I’ll follow at a safe distance.”

Ness muttered a few foul words to himself but clutched the bat in one hand, proceeding up the path toward the top. If they were going to search for Picky, the last place he was would be a good start. King remained by his side, sniffing at the air but not seeming to find the scent.

_“Man, I hope he’s okay…”_

“Ugh, where is he? PIIIICKYYYYY?!” Pokey shouted after barely two minutes of searching. No reply came, at least not until something rustled in the bushes behind them.

“Hm? Someone there?”

Ness started toward it with his bat held close. He didn’t feel right about this; if it was Picky then surely he would have said something. King was on edge too, growling at the bush. Pokey, on the other hand, seemed to have no doubts whatsoever and stomped up to it.

“Get out of there, you moron! We’re gonna be in trouble if Mom and Dad get home before us!”

“Pokey, hold on a second-“

The bush shook again, and a brown-colored blur shot out of it and knocked him to the ground, snarling. It was another dog, evidently a stray due to its messy and faded fur. Pokey scrambled away from it with a squeal, only for it to turn its attention on Ness. Slightly trembling at the feral look in its eyes, he raised his bat to try and scare it off.

No… not just feral. There was something about the way it growled and lumbered toward him that indicated the dog was acting on more than just instinct. It had a piercing, sinister gaze that was locked directly on Ness in a way that didn’t make sense to him.

With a bark that almost sounded like a roar, the wild animal bared its teeth and lunged for him. King intercepted it, ramming into the other dog’s side and knocking it away. The two snapped and swiped at one another for a few seconds, with the stray dog gaining the upper hand as it managed to force King to fall down. Ness took the opportunity to close the distance and swung his bat, striking the aggressor on the side. It let go of King but focused on him immediately afterwards. Another swing connected to the top of its head, and it dropped to the ground.

Ness’s arms were shaking even more by then, but he stood his ground in case the stray dog decided it wanted to attack again. He’d held back on his swings, not wanting to risk killing the animal but rather scare it off. King, luckily, didn’t seem to have suffered more than a few scratches and rejoined him.

Sure enough, the dog was on its feet again in seconds. It looked around in a daze, and Ness noticed that the hostile look in its eyes had vanished. He watched as it moseyed off into the woods again, leaving them alone.

“I-is it gone?” Pokey whimpered. “Why’d it do that?”

King was still tense and continued to stare in its direction for a while. Ness gave him a pat on the head before he kept walking up the trail, beckoning for his two companions to follow.

“I don’t know. But we’d better get going, there might be more of them.”

His prediction was incorrect, as there weren’t any more dogs in sight. There _were_ , however, crows circling overhead. The birds perched on tree branches lining the path leering down at Ness as if daring him to get closer. He held his bat up as he continued forwards, and like he’d feared the crows swooped down at the trio.

Pokey’s frightened shrieks came from behind him, but he was occupied with his own crow for the moment. Strangely, as it flitted around before his face he noticed that it was wearing what looked like a pair of pointed sunglasses above its beak. From what he could see, the others had the same accessory.

_“What’s the matter with the animals out here?!”_

The crow dodged a swing of his bat and reared backwards, letting out a caw that sounded more like smug laughter. It flew straight at Ness again, only to be interrupted by King who snatched it out of the air. He snarled and shook the bird as it squawked in panic. The others, noticing its plight, ganged up on King instead. They pecked and scratched at him from all sides while he whimpered and tried to fend them off. Ness, like before, ran to his dog’s aid and took a few careful swings. Crows were knocked in every direction, sailing into the trees with some even dropping feathers as they went. Soon there were none left, the rest having gone through the same strange shift in attitude as the stray dog from before. It was as if Ness was literally knocking sense into them.

An odd feeling raced through his head all of a sudden. He felt cold, then feverish, then finally a brief chill passed from his head down to the rest of his body. The sensation was over just as soon as it had come, leaving a faint voice in its wake. It was Ness’s own voice, whispering a strange phrase into his head: _“PSI Lifeup: Alpha.”_ He didn’t have any clue where it had come from or what it meant. King was licking his wounds to the side, bringing his attention back to the moment at hand.

“Thanks for the help, boy,” he said as he inspected his dog. The crows had given him several scratches and cuts, but nothing too serious.

(Don’t mention it.)

The voice was male and deep in pitch, but didn’t come from any discernible source. It echoed in Ness’s head as clear as could be despite him not knowing who had said it.

(You can pay me back by giving me some of your steak at dinner.)

Slowly, his eyes drifted back down to King, who was giving him a blank stare with his tongue slightly hanging out.

“Did… did _you_ say that…?”

His eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and he wondered if he was losing his mind. There was no way he’d been hearing things; the voice was too clear. His dog had just telepathically communicated with him. Whether King secretly had magic powers or he himself did, Ness wasn’t sure. He didn’t have much time to think about it, however, as Pokey was speaking up again.

“T-the crows are gone? Uh… of course they are! I must’ve scared ‘em off! Ha! You owe me one, Ness.”

(Can I bite him? Please?)

King’s voice rang in his head again, causing him to flinch. Not wanting his neighbor to think he was crazy- he didn’t need _another_ reason to inflate his ego- Ness didn’t say anything back and just gave King a rub on his side.

“I think we’re near the top of the hill,” he said. “Let’s go, Picky must be around here somewhere.”

(I haven’t smelled him yet. It’s hard to smell _anything_ when his brother’s around.)

Though he hadn’t fully gotten over the shock that King could speak in some fashion, Ness smirked and gave him a nod in agreement.

The only other wild animal they encountered for the remainder of the walk was a snake which attempted to wrap itself around whoever it could find. “Attempted” was the operative word; it was so small that even Pokey sent it packing with a terrified kick. Given his relief at not having to fight another murder of crows, Ness didn’t mind his neighbor’s gloating over the minor victory. They passed by Lier X. Agerate’s house (thankfully he had gone back inside) and soon enough were walking up the final stretch of the hill toward where the meteorite had landed.

Ness could feel the heat even before it came into view. An orange, almost perfectly spherical object was half buried in the dirt, still emitting a great deal of light. The way it had landed was unusual, as nothing else around it appeared to have been damaged. No ashes or fires, or even displaced dirt could be seen in the vicinity. It looked more like it had been a controlled landing than a crash. Staring at the meteorite gave Ness a chill of apprehension, which was evidently shared by King.

(Awooof! If I’d known this would be so scary, I wouldn’t have come at all! I’m out of here!)

Before Ness could stop him, his dog had ran down the hill back toward his house. He turned back toward the meteorite, confident that King would make it home safely.

“This is creepier than I thought…” Pokey whispered. “Can we go now?”

“You’re the one who wanted to find Picky; we’re not going anywhere,” he snapped. “Come on, he might still be around here.”

The two split up to search around the hilltop, though it didn’t take long for Ness to hear the faint sound of snoring. He checked behind the tree he’d heard it from and saw a small boy curled up in a ball, looking at peace despite being so close to the meteorite.

“Picky’s over here!” he called, giving the boy a gentle shake. He had the same head of blond hair as his brother, and even the same style of a bowl cut partially covering his eyes. Picky wore a simple black shirt and light blue pants, both of which had a bit of dirt on them from where he’d been sleeping.

“Hm…? Oh, hey Ness,” he yawned, sitting up. “What’re you doing here?”

“THERE you are!” Pokey yelled as he stomped over. “We’ve been lookin’ forever, where’ve you been?”

“ _You_ have?” Picky said. “You’re the one who got scared and ran away when we heard the Sharks were out. I bet you didn’t even realize you left me behind until you got back home.”

Ness shot Pokey a glare, to which he gave a nervous laugh. Of course he’d run off in fear, that made far more sense than the police kidnapping his brother.

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay,” Picky continued. “We should probably get home, Mom and Dad must be worried sick about us. Sometimes I wonder which of us the big brother really is…”

Satisfied that they’d succeeded, Ness turned to begin the walk down the hill when Pokey called for them to stop. Irritated, he turned to face him.

“What’s the matter?”

“Don’t you hear it?” he replied. “It’s a sort of buzzing sound, like a bee…”

Now that Pokey mentioned it, Ness _could_ hear something buzzing nearby. He didn’t understand the significance until he realized it was coming from the meteorite, which was beginning to glow even brighter.

“W-whoa! Is it gonna explode?!”

A beam of yellow light erupted from the top and shot high into the air, causing the three boys to recoil and cover their eyes.

“Ngh- what is that?” Pokey yelled over the buzz, which had grown deafening by that point.

Something was emerging from the meteorite, floating in midair before them. As the light finally faded, Ness could see that it was some kind of insect. It resembled a beetle, with a light brown shell and a long horn coming off the front of its head. The bug rotated in midair, as if turning to look at each of them.

“A bee I am… not,” it said aloud. Its voice was distinctly male, though a bit garbled and nasal-sounding.

“W-what is it?! Is it an alien?! Ness, hit it with your bat!” Pokey shrieked, stepping away from the bug.

“I am not your enemy,” he continued with an urgent tone in his voice. “You may call me Buzz Buzz, and technically I am also not an alien. I’m from ten years in the future, and where I come from… all is devastation.”

Ness stared transfixed at the insect, which was now looking directly at him.

“You… and your red cap… did your friend say your name is Ness?”

He nodded without a word.

“Oh man, I bet it’s gonna try to abduct us and eat our brains-“

“Shut _up_ , Pokey!” Picky hissed. “I think he just wants to talk.”

“I wish no harm on any of you,” Buzz Buzz insisted. “This world is in grave danger, and I believe you, Ness, are the secret to its salvation. I will tell you more soon, but for now we must find shelter. This place is unsafe.”

Though he was completely overwhelmed by how suddenly the address had come, Ness didn’t have time to even begin processing it. A gray light flashed before them, leaving behind a tall figure that blocked the path down the hill. It was like nothing he’d ever seen, having a sleek gray body with slim legs and tentacle-looking arms ending in sharp points, resting on its hips. Its face- if it could even be called that- was little more than a black visor, behind which nothing could be seen. A black insignia was emblazoned on the front of its chest.

“There you are… it has been a long time, Buzz Buzz,” the towering _thing_ said in a whirring, robotic voice. “You’ve evaded Master Giygas’s grasp for too long, and now your luck has run out. You are no hero, merely a fugitive. This is where you meet your end… under my boot like the useless bug you are!”


	3. The Chosen One

**Chapter 3: The Chosen One**

Ness was forced into action immediately when the surprise visitor swung one of its long arms at them. Pokey and Picky had backed away the moment it showed up, and were out of its range. He, on the other hand, had to leap back just in time to feel a slight wind blow past from the attack. His bat was tightly gripped in his hands, not that he felt it would matter in the current situation.

“Be on guard!” Buzz Buzz shouted, hovering close to Ness. “This is a Junior-Class Starman, a minion of our adversary!”

The robotic-looking entity had mentioned a “Giygas,” who he could only assume was the one in question. That could be worried about later, though, as the Starman Junior was attacking again. It brought both arms down to try and crush Ness, who sidestepped the blow. While it seemed to possess immense physical strength, it was lacking in agility.

After dodging the strike, Ness found himself right beside his opponent. He took the opportunity to fight back, swinging his bat into the Starman Junior’s side. A small dent appeared in its metallic shell, but otherwise he’d done very little against it. One of its arms whipped around and caught him in the stomach, throwing him back.

Ness, trying to regain his breath, staggered to his feet and raised his bat again. The enemy’s visor changed from black to a dim red, beginning to emit an increasingly intense light. Buzz Buzz, still hovering nearby, responded with a frantic shout.

“PSI Shield: Sigma!”

A flash enveloped the area, and Ness found himself covered by a translucent purple barrier. Not a moment too soon, as the Starman Junior unleashed its own attack, still speaking in a low drone.

“PK Fire: Alpha.”

The red glow from its visor erupted in a scorching wave of flames that coursed over Ness, who covered his eyes at the last second before impact. To his astonishment, he didn’t feel any pain at all. Despite how strong the attack had been, Buzz Buzz’s shield completely nullified it, and the flames disappeared. He looked behind him to see that Pokey, Picky, and the insect himself all had similar force fields.

“My PSI Shield will keep you safe!” Buzz Buzz yelled. “Come, we can defeat it together!”

Mustering up all his courage, Ness rushed forward again with his bat raised. The Starman Junior attempted another fire attack, only for it to have no effect whatsoever like the first. He didn’t understand what “PSI” was, but he was glad to have it protecting him.

He closed the distance and took a second swing at the metallic foe, whacking it in one of its thin legs. This time his strike had a noticeable impact, as the Starman Junior buckled and nearly fell over. Buzz Buzz followed up by ramming into it himself, causing their enemy to stumble backwards. It regained its composure soon enough, thrusting one of its arms forth again to try and skewer Ness. Though he was able to leap aside and avoid it, his dodge had evidently been expected, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the other arm speeding toward him before he could react.

The tendril never hit him, however, as a rock suddenly collided with the Starman Junior’s visor and disrupted its aim. Ness was able to fall back to a safe distance while it tried to reorient itself. He looked to his left, seeing Picky stoop down to grab another rock. Pokey was hiding behind a tree, whimpering.

“Yeah, take that! I can help too!”

His second projectile unfortunately didn’t do as much, simply being swatted out of the air this time. The Starman Junior took a thundering step toward them, its visor glowing a much brighter red.

“Your insolence displeases me, as do your PSI Shields. To guarantee success, I will have to unleash my full power… disabling PSI inhibitor systems! PK Fire: Omeg-“

A loud “clang” cut it off when Buzz Buzz crashed into it from behind, sending the robot lurching forwards and even falling over. As it collapsed, Ness took careful aim and swung his bat as hard as he could. His strike collided head-on with the Starman Junior’s visor just before it hit the ground, completely shattering it and damaging the exposed wiring inside. The defeated enemy lay in a sparking, motionless heap before them.

Just like earlier, Ness felt a strange sensation pass over his body. Another phrase reverberated in his mind: _“PSI Hypnosis: Alpha.”_

“D… did we win?” Picky asked, holding a third stone in a trembling hand.

Buzz Buzz sighed in relief.

“Yes, we have overcome this threat. It has been following me for a long time now, even chasing me back in time to kill me…”

“What _was_ it?” Ness panted, his hands on his knees.

“A pawn of Giygas, the universal cosmic destroyer. He hails from a far-off world and has come to invade your planet. It is he who is responsible for the future of chaos, and the reason I have traveled through time to find you. In my time, there is a legend among those of us who still resist Giygas: ‘This darkness may not be defeated, but prevented altogether. The key to victory lays in the hands of the past, with a chosen few humans who will shatter the nightmare.’”

Ness’s heart was still pounding, but he listened as intently as he could. The story seemed so unbelievable to him, yet fighting against a robot from the future only moments before made him a bit more open-minded.

“Though the legend itself does not specify who will defeat Giygas, I’m certain you are among these ‘chosen few,’” Buzz Buzz continued. “From the moment I saw you, I could feel that my suspicions were accurate. There exists an artifact called the Apple of Enlightenment in my time, which revealed a boy in a red cap as the hero. You look nearly identical to him, of this I am sure.”

“Hold on,” Ness said aloud, trying not to stammer. “How am I supposed to save the world? I’m just a kid, I can’t do this…”

Buzz Buzz hovered just in front of him, looking into his eyes.

“I sense… potential in you. Great potential. Just as I can utilize PSI abilities, you can as well with proper training. Have you ever experienced something you couldn’t comprehend, perhaps a change in yourself?”

He waved for the Minch brothers to follow him down the hill now that the threat had been dealt with. They still needed to get home soon, and his own family was likely wondering what was taking him so long. As they walked, he contemplated the question.

“I… yes, actually. Earlier, before we got to the meteorite, I was suddenly able to hear what my dog was thinking. It was like he could talk to me, without actually talking…”

Ness thought further back into his life, and came to realize something he’d written off as coincidental until then.

“A-and sometimes, when I get really angry, I notice that small things… _move_ near me. I always thought I was just knocking into them, but are you saying this is all because of that PSI stuff?”

“Precisely,” Buzz Buzz responded. He had landed on Ness’s shoulder for the time being. “You are more than an ordinary boy; you possess abilities the likes of which most humans could never imagine. With enough effort, I have no doubt you’ll become a master wielder of PSI.”

This was all reminding Ness of a book that came out recently, about a boy who learned he was a wizard and had many adventures as he learned about his powers.

“Whoa, I’m kinda jealous…” Picky murmured behind them. He was hanging onto every word the insect said, while his brother didn’t seem to be paying attention at all.

Ness felt a weight settle in his stomach, the task thrust upon him causing no shortage of worry. Was he really expected to defeat an alien invader? Buzz Buzz had mentioned there would be others, so at least he wasn’t alone if that was true, but it was no less daunting to his thirteen-year-old mind.

Lier X. Agerate was waiting outside his house and grinned widely at them as they passed.

“Nice night for a walk, kids? Better be careful, I hear those Sharks are around.”

He looked at Ness, beckoning for him to come over.

“Buddy, c’mere a sec! I found something I think you’ll like. Only you’re allowed to see it, though. Your friends can wait outside.”

Not exactly eager to enter the hermit’s house by himself, he didn’t approach.

“Hm… I don’t sense any hostility from him,” Buzz Buzz murmured into his ear. “What could he want to show you? Perhaps you should investigate.”

“Y-you’re not just gonna leave us here, are you?” Pokey whined. “We have to get home soon! What if another one of those space-things comes?”

Far too tired at that point to argue either way, Ness began to walk toward Lier’s shack. Buzz Buzz flew away from his shoulder, promising to watch over the Minch brothers until he returned.

“Fine, what is it?”

“Hehe, don’t worry. This’ll just take a second,” Lier replied, opening the door to his house.

Ness followed him inside and instantly wrinkled his nose at the rancid smell. The place reeked of garlic and dust, with beaten-up furniture strewn everywhere. His feelings of trepidation weren’t helped by Lier opening up a trapdoor in the middle of the small room, leading to a ladder into the darkness below. For a moment he wondered if he’d rather go back outside and join Buzz Buzz on his quest than risk winding up in the hermit’s murder dungeon.

“C’mon, just follow me! It’s right over here!” came his voice.

Sighing, Ness descended the ladder and found himself in a tunneled-out cave, dimly lit by a portable lamp. He turned around to see Lier standing with something that admittedly caught his attention… and held it.

It was some kind of golden statue, much taller than either of them. Though it had a distinctly human shape, there were no details on it apart from a set of unsettling slanted eyes etched into its face, appearing to glow a faint red. Two long, curved horns protruded from the top of its head, and in its hands the statue held a long sword, pointed straight at the ground. Staring at it gave Ness an odd feeling of desire, like he wanted to take it away with him even if it meant having to attack Lier in the process. It was pulling at him, whispering his name… it belonged to him, after all the trouble he went through…

He blinked, snapping himself out of that weird trance. Ness turned away from the statue as its new owner boasted about how he’d uncovered a grand treasure. Within seconds, Lier too was staring transfixed at it. He decided to leave before anything else could happen, though the mysterious artifact left him with a great sense of unease.

Buzz Buzz and the others were still waiting outside, and rejoined him for the remainder of the trip home. Thankfully, nothing else interrupted them on the way save for Pokey’s endless complaints about how much trouble they would be in. His prediction proved correct, as once they reached the Minch household to find their father’s car in the driveway he let out a resigned moan.

“Oh man, now we’re gonna get it…”

Picky turned to Ness with a small grin.

“I don’t care what happens, I at least got to see the meteorite and meet a time-traveling bug. We even beat an alien together, right?”

He returned the grin, though inwardly felt worried about him. It was no secret that Aloysius and Lardna Minch were horrible parents, and he wondered if that had contributed to Pokey being so unpleasant. Of course, that didn’t excuse his behavior seeing as his brother was such a nice kid despite their upbringing. Ness sighed he watched them walk up their porch and into the house. Shouting could be heard immediately, as well as Pokey’s frightened blubbering.

“I hope those two will be okay,” Buzz Buzz murmured. “Even the older one. He seems… troubled. Should we have walked in with them?”

“Not much we could have done,” he said. “Besides, their mom might’ve tried to squash you if she saw you in her house. She hates bugs.”

The door opened, and Aloysius Minch stepped out. Like his older son, he was a portly man with short blond hair. His fancy suit, overall build, and unpleasant sneer gave the impression of a cartoon villain as he looked down at Ness.

“Picky says you brought him home safely, boy. Is that right?”

He nodded without a word, not interested in prolonged conversation with his neighbor.

“Hmph. They snuck out _and_ troubled you? They’re both gonna get it now.”

“Really, sir, it was no problem,” Ness began, imagining what Aloysius could have in mind for his sons. “I didn’t mind-“

“Don’t talk back to me!” he roared. “Just because you have such a lousy father, that doesn’t give you the right to challenge authority! I’ve had to loan that man a lot of money we never got back, you know that? It’s gotta be a hundred thousand dollars or more!”

Aloysius stomped back into his house and slammed the door before Ness could say anything back. He was _fuming_ ; his father had barely even been loaned a hundred dollars, and he’d paid that back a long time ago. How dare he accuse anyone of being a bad parent when-

“Ness,” Buzz Buzz whispered in an alarmed tone. “Your hands…”

He looked down to see small stubs of splintered wood clutched in each fist, with the rest of his old bat’s remains scattered across the ground before him. A faint purple haze was engulfing his hands for just a moment, but faded away quickly. He hadn’t even noticed in his anger.

“That… was that PSI?” Ness gasped.

“Yes, but unlike any I’ve ever seen. Curious… in any case, you have not answered my question. Will you take up the task of stopping Giygas and saving your world?”

His head was killing him and his whole body felt heavy. Ness stumbled back toward his house, walking inside as quietly as he could.

“I… don’t know. I’ll have to sleep on it; I’m exhausted right now.”

When they got back to his room, Buzz Buzz rested himself down on his nightstand as he flopped into bed.

“Very well, I suppose you won’t be able to make an informed decision without rest. Please, consider everything that I have said…”

Ness barely heard him, as sleep came within moments.

* * *

High up on the hill, beside the meteorite, the destroyed Starman Junior’s body continued to spark and twitch. It wasn’t completely without function, however, as its internal communication system was still barely intact.

“Broadcasting retrieval signal… n-new target identified. ‘Ness’ possesses latent abilities that he has yet to fully realize. The escapee is with him… the time has come to deploy the guardians to their designated locations. We must not allow them to reach the Sanctuaries. Furthermore, the artifact has been uncovered near my position. Inform Commander Megane that our operation is ready to begin…”

With a low hum, the Starman Junior finally ran out of power and stopped moving.

**End of Introduction**


	4. Setting Out (Eventually)

**PART ONE: Adventure Calls**

**Chapter 4: Setting Out (Eventually)**

Ness blearily opened his eyes and sat up in bed. A look at his clock revealed it to be almost eleven, which confused him. Even on summer vacation, he wasn’t one to sleep in _that_ late…

Oh. Right.

The memories of last night came back to him all at once, and any chances of it just being a dream were dashed when he turned his head to see Buzz Buzz still sitting on his nightstand. The insect was already awake, looking up at Ness with his beady eyes.

“Good morning. How do you feel?”

He stretched his limbs.

“Not as sore as I was expecting, even with all that PSI stuff. Actually, I don’t feel tired at all.”

Buzz Buzz made a sound that might have been a chuckle.

“It may be an awesome power, but something as simple as a good night’s rest can recover your PSI energy. Now then, have you decided?”

He sighed, recalling the enormous task he’d been given.

“Well… I guess if you say I’m the chosen one or whatever, then I _have_ to do it…”

“The choice is entirely yours, Ness,” said Buzz Buzz. “If it is of any interest to you, your family will not mind if you leave.”

He raised a brow at that comment.

“How would you know that?”

“You’ve slept in rather late. Your mother came in to check on you, and she saw me on your desk. I was quick to explain the situation to her, as well as your impressive abilities. To be honest, she was surprisingly accepting of my… admittedly far-fetched tale. I reassured her I would be accompanying you.”

Ness wasn’t sure what compelled his mom to accept all that, but if he had to go save the world then he was glad Buzz Buzz wouldn’t be abandoning him for it.

“…sure, I’ll do it. I’ll fight this Giygas. Where do we even begin?”

“Get yourself ready first. I shall explain soon enough.”

He got out of bed, changed, and grabbed his yellow backpack. Something told him this would be a long adventure, so he needed to prepare. He packed several fresh outfits, various small toiletries, some spare cash he had in a drawer, a flashlight with spare batteries, the cookie his sister had handed him the night before, and his personal ATM card given to him by his father. Putting his red baseball cap back on, he was as ready to go as he could be.

True to Buzz Buzz’s word, his mom, Tracy, and King were all waiting for him in the hallway. They had bittersweet looks on their faces, and it only just struck him that he would _actually_ be leaving home.

“Good luck out there, Ness. You’re a strong, brave boy, and I know you’ll do just fine as long as you stay sharp. If anyone can save the world, I’m sure it’s you. And you’re always welcome to come back at any time, you know.”

He fought down the growing lump in his throat.

“Thanks, Mom…”

Tracy held out something clumsily wrapped in tin foil like the cookie.

“Here you go, I made you some sandwiches for your adventure. I think they’re a little messy though.”

“I’m sure they’re fine, thanks.”

(Ness! Make sure you get back home soon!)

King’s thoughts echoed in his head again, and the dog wandered over to give his fingers a lick.

“E-everyone…”

He couldn’t believe this was really happening. As exciting as the thought of going on an adventure was, he never imagined he’d really do it. Of course, leaving home was just as difficult for him…

Ness put on a brave face and gave his family a hug.

“Thank you all. I’ll do my best!”

They walked with him downstairs and through their house toward the door. He’d never really appreciated the comfortable home until then, as he looked all around one last time. His journey would begin the moment he stepped outside.

“Oh right, why don’t you give your dad a call before you leave?” his mother said. “I filled him in on everything earlier, but I’m sure he’d like to talk to you himself.”

His father was away on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for a while. Although his job (Ness never did find out what exactly he did for a living) demanded a great deal of time from him, he always managed to be there for his family when it mattered… except for when his son was about to set off on a conquest against an alien invasion. Still, he kept them out of debt, so he couldn’t complain too much.

Ness dialed his number, and the call was answered within two rings.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Dad. I’m about to head out.”

“So I’ve heard,” he chuckled. Even through the phone his father’s warm tone made Ness feel more confident. “Look at you, off on a big adventure to save the world. You’re becoming a fine young man, and I know you’ll take care of this no problem.”

“Heh… I don’t know if it’ll be _that_ easy.”

“Maybe you’re right,” his father replied. “Work ‘til exhaustion when you’re young… ever hear of a weird saying like that? Saving the world’s no cakewalk, for sure, but just know that I’m behind you one-hundred percent of the way. Use your ATM card to buy anything you need; I’ll add a bit of money to your account whenever I can. I’ve decided to keep a record of your adventure as well, so call me now and then and I’ll update it for you.”

Ness smiled.

“Thanks Dad. I could use all the help I can get.”

“Ha ha, I feel like such a hero… well, the father of a hero anyway! I won’t hold you up any longer, get out there and do your best!”

He hung up and walked back over to the door, waving goodbye to his family one final time.

_“I just hope I get to see them again…”_

Ness stepped out at last, taking in the warm summer air. With Buzz Buzz on his shoulder and the skies clear, he was finally ready to begin his adventure.

…at least, until something else interrupted him.

Like another celestial object crashing to earth, a thin dark blur rocketed toward the ground from above, coming to a dead stop just before impact and gently settling down. Despite having been startled witless by that, Ness could identify the thing as a very tall man, dressed in a black suit and top hat with glasses and an impressive golden beard.

“Say ‘fuzzy pickles,’ kiddo!”

“Fuzzy wha-“

Already caught off-guard, he couldn’t possibly prepare for the flash of light that directly followed the man’s confusing statement. He rubbed the ensuing blindness out of his eyes and shot him a glare upon noticing the camera held in his large hands.

“What’s the big idea?”

“Pictures taken instantaneously!” the man bellowed. “I’m here to document your adventure, so I’ll be dropping in now and then. I _am_ a photographic genius, if I do say so myself.”

He looked at the freshly-printed photo (no doubt of Ness’s shocked expression) and smirked.

“Oh yeah, that’ll always bring back the fondest of memories… well, see ya around!”

Just as swiftly as he’d arrived, the photographer zoomed back into the sky and was gone.

“…you know what?” Ness said after a moment of stunned silence. “That was probably the weirdest thing I’ve seen yet, including the Starman Junior.”

“I agree,” Buzz Buzz mumbled. “Er, I hope we can truly begin now.”

They could, as nothing else appeared on the scene to interrupt the pair. Ness began walking down the road into the typical suburban town of Onett, intent on a visit to the drugstore. He would need a new weapon with his bat broken.

“Where am I supposed to find this Giygas?” he asked as the town’s small buildings came into view.

“I don’t believe he has arrived just yet,” said Buzz Buzz. “However, his evil influence has no doubt begun to spread across your world. To properly combat him, you must channel your PSI power through the Earth at eight special places called Sanctuaries. Then you will be able to confront him and put a stop to his plans. But…”

He gave a concerned hum.

“My knowledge of their locations is limited. I do know that the first is reportedly nearby, here in Onett, but I have no more specific information. Do you know of any special place in this area?”

They had reached the sidewalk at the north end of town and were walking toward the drugstore, passing by various other small shops along the way. Ness and other neighborhood kids had explored most of the areas around Onett over the years, but he wasn’t sure if anything they’d found would be considered “Sanctuary material.” He also didn’t know what to look for. A hidden temple, maybe?

_“Think, Ness… think… you’re supposed to connect to the planet or whatever…”_

He felt his body stiffen, and for a split second an image flashed through his head. It showed him a place he’d only been to once, a flat hilltop in the bluffs just north of town. The spot wasn’t too memorable save for a gigantic indentation in the dirt, shaped like a human footprint complete with toes.

“Whoa, I just had some kinda vision that showed me somewhere! There’s a place around here called Giant Step, which might be it. I know how to get there, too.”

“Excellent! And I can already feel your PSI abilities strengthening,” Buzz Buzz said with a hint of pride. “Let us be off then; we have much to do.”

Ness stopped in at the drugstore and picked up a new wooden bat. He’d really wanted an aluminum one, but it was far too pricey and his father hadn’t left any money for his ATM account yet. Besides, against an extraterrestrial overlord he wasn’t sure how much good a bat of _any_ material would be.

Conveniently, the store wasn’t far from the path up to Giant Step. _Inconveniently_ , an immediate problem presented itself. A small shack was on top of the entrance to the cave leading up, with a heavy-looking metal door blocking their way. Barbed wire fences offered further deterrence, leaving them at a roadblock more daunting than the local police wished they could put up. There was no other way around, and Ness wasn’t exactly equipped to mountain climb.

“This is a problem… now what?”

“Not as much of a problem as _you_ are,” came a sneering reply from behind him.

Ness spun around to see a boy not much older than him standing a few yards back, holding a skateboard. His black leather clothing and the distinctive fin on his gray helmet gave his identity away easily: he was a member of the Sharks. From behind his black goggles, his eyes leered in warning.

“This is part of our territory now, y’hear? The boss doesn’t want people going up to Giant Step, so if you don’t want a beatin’ you’d better step off, pal.”

“Does he have the key to this door?” Ness asked, clutching his new bat.

The Shark grinned at him.

“Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. Not like it matters to you, since I’m about to send you crying home to mommy!”

He shredded on his skateboard toward him, winding up a fist as he rapidly closed the distance. Ness wasn’t intimidated and raised his bat. If the Shark wanted a fight, he was about to get one.

“Eat it, sucker!”

At the last second his opponent kicked up the back of his skateboard and leaped off, sending it flying into his stomach. He stumbled back with a “whuff” of air, lowering his bat to clutch at the injured spot. The Shark took the chance to strike again, throwing a punch at his face. Ness just barely managed to avoid in time and took revenge by smashing his bat into the costumed boy’s own gut. He gave a squeal and doubled over, allowing him to be kicked to the ground.

Ness stood above him and raised his bat yet again. He didn’t seriously want to hurt him, but he needed information.

“Talk. Does your boss have the key?”

“Y-yes! He does!” the Shark blubbered. “Frank’s in the back of the arcade, thinkin’ about peace and love or whatever. I dunno why he locked the door, he just kept muttering ‘don’t let him get to Giant Step’ whenever we were around. Something’s up with him.”

Satisfied, he took his foot off his chest and let the boy stand up.

“Good to know. Get out of here, and don’t let me catch you making trouble again.”

The Shark whimpered and took off on his skateboard, rounding a corner of the street before disappearing.

“Well fought, Ness,” Buzz Buzz said. “You handled yourself impressively. I expect you’ll have to fight more humans whose evil thoughts have been corrupted by Giygas, not unlike the animals… be prepared for that.”

“I’ll do my best,” he sighed. “Why didn’t you help me there?”

The insect appeared to laugh.

“You must become stronger along your journey. Experience is required, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah… well, let’s pay a visit to ‘Frank’ and get that key.”

Bat in hand, he marched down the road toward the local arcade and the first obstacle of his journey.


	5. Jumping the Sharks

**Chapter 5: Jumping the Sharks**

The southern half of Onett was, to Ness’s displeasure, crawling with more leather-clad teenagers. Sharks hung around every street corner, some lazily patrolling the area but most just wandering aimlessly. Nobody tried to stop them, as they somehow hit the perfect balance of being just threatening enough to inconvenience the townsfolk but not so dangerous that Onett’s astoundingly apathetic police would put in the effort to keep them under control. Had the Sharks not been so obsessed with appearing tough and aloof, they might even have made for a better security force.

As it was, they could be seen holding passers-by up (demanding surprisingly low “taxes,” often of less than five dollars) and shouting the occasional rude word. Ness’s victory against the skate punk proved to him that they were only dangerous in large numbers… which they just so happened to be. His misfortune didn’t stop there.

“That’s the one! With the red cap!”

The skateboarder Shark he’d beaten was standing a bit up the road, glowering at him and pointing him out to a group of four other members. Each of them wielded pogo sticks, save for one who was twirling a plastic hula hoop around his waist.

“Didn’t you learn your lesson the first time?” Ness challenged, resting his bat against his shoulder. He was outnumbered, but they lacked weapons and looked rather scrawny to tell the truth.

“Nobody disrespects the Sharks!” the skater growled. “Get ‘im!”

“Yeah, nobody!” parroted the hula-hooping one in a higher pitched voice. “We’re gonna beat you good!”

He received a light slap to the back of the head from the skater.

“Shut _up_ , ya stupid yes man! Just go get him already!”

The three pogo-riding Sharks bounced toward Ness as if intending to trample him. One stumbled and face-planted on the sidewalk, while another overshot him and had to arduously bounce in a circle or risk falling over. That left only one more to deal with, but unlike the other two goons he seemed to know what he was doing. He threw a sideways kick at Ness from his pogo stick, striking him in the chest and knocking him off-balance. The skater used the opportunity to shove him as he rolled past. Buzz Buzz, like before, wasn’t contributing to the fight except to talk to him.

“You got overconfident, and now they have you surrounded. Focus, you can still win! Try using your PSI.”

“I don’t know how!” he protested in a hushed voice.

“If you’ve learned new abilities, you should be able to utilize them by merely speaking them aloud. Remember how I and the Starman Junior did it?”

The yes-man Shark was charging forward, swinging his hula hoop as he ran. Ness recalled one of the things that had been whispered in his head when he’d felt the cold flashes and acted on impulse. He pointed a finger at the approaching foe and spoke aloud.

“P… PSI Hypnosis: Alpha!”

In an instant, the Shark’s stride faltered and he collapsed to the ground in a heap, gently snoring. His cohorts stared at him with their mouths agape, just as surprised as Ness himself was (not that he let it show).

“I… can’t believe that worked…”

He didn’t have time to appreciate it before a splitting pain tore through his skull and made him stumble. One of the pogo punks had snuck up behind him, slamming the end of his stick down on the back of Ness’s head. Blinking dazed tears out of his eyes, he spun around and smashed his bat into the Shark’s head in response. He went down just as easily as the yes man.

_“It hurts… what was that other one I heard?”_

Ness felt blood trickle from the spot he’d been hit in. He pointed at the back of his head and tried to recall the name of his ability before the three remaining foes attacked again.

“PSI Lifeup: Alpha.”

He hadn’t consciously said it; the enchantment had just come to him in a flash. Ness felt a warm sensation overtake him, and within seconds the pain and bleeding stopped altogether. The two pogo punks still standing and the skate punk were giving him uneasy looks.

“D-dudes… this kid’s got, like, MAGIC!”

They were all hesitating to approach him now. Ness smirked and decided to use this to his advantage.

“Yeah, that’s right. And if you come at me again, I’ll use my… uh, ‘Crashing Boom-Bang Attack!’”

That improvised threat was enough to frighten them off, and they scattered in all directions away from him, leaving their two downed buddies behind. Buzz Buzz, still perched on his shoulder, hummed in affirmation.

“You see? I told you there was potential in you. You’ve learned the Alpha levels of two valuable abilities, and you’ll only obtain more as you go on.”

Slightly winded but not in overall bad shape, Ness continued to walk toward the arcade. Fortune smiled upon him, as no other Sharks stood in his way.

“What does the ‘Alpha’ mean?” he asked.

“PSI and PK techniques range in different levels of potency, with Alpha being the weakest. The more experienced you become, the more powerful levels you can reach.”

That was a promising start, he figured. More to learn, and more to work toward as he took down Giygas’s forces. He wondered if any of the other “chosen humans” could use PSI as well.

The arcade was Onett’s southernmost building, with a dimly-lit interior and dark carpeting. Once a popular hangout for local kids after school, it had effectively become the headquarters of the Sharks. A pogo-wielding member was stationed outside on guard duty, but Ness was able to sneak up behind him and put him to sleep with another incantation of PSI Hypnosis.

He strolled inside and came across three more Sharks who turned away from the machines they’d been playing at to attack him. Three more short uses of Hypnosis later, they had each fallen where they stood in quick succession and snored away on the floor. Ness still had a finger pointed out in case someone else decided to approach. There was one more Shark hidden in the corner of the room, but after watching his cohorts be effortlessly taken down he whimpered and shied away from Ness, going back to his game. A grin crept onto his face.

“Not gonna lie, Buzz Buzz… that felt _really_ cool to do! I’m like an action movie hero, sweeping through the bad guys by myself!”

He did notice that he felt rather drained from it, though. Using his abilities so much at once took more out of him than he’d expected, which Buzz Buzz commented on as well.

“That was impressive, yes. But be sure to pace yourself, or else you could run out of PSI energy in a tight situation.”

“Heh, I know. I’ll be careful. Let’s go find Frank and get the key.”

That first step didn’t take long. A door in the back of the arcade led to the yard behind it, featureless except for a large tree with several bushes around its base. Only one other person was there, staring up at the sky in contemplation. He tilted his head down to look at Ness when he arrived.

“Hm…? Who are you? Lookin’ to join the Sharks, kid? You’ve come to the right guy. I’m Frank Fly, the leader.”

He was a good deal taller than Ness, wearing sunglasses, fancy black shoes, and a red pinstripe suit that was only half buttoned-up to reveal a white dress shirt underneath. In keeping with his gang’s motif, he wore a shark-tooth necklace and his blond hair was spiked up at the top like a fin. His hands were behind his back, almost in a polite gesture, but his hollow cheeks and thin smile gave off an imposing feel.

“I’m not here to join. My name’s Ness, and I need the key to get up to Giant Step.”

Frank’s lips curled into a frown. His body was trembling for some reason.

“Ness, huh? You… you can’t go up there. You can’t get to the Sanctuary, I won’t allow it!”

“Giygas must be influencing him to stop you already,” Buzz Buzz murmured. “Be careful, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”

“I don’t want to fight,” Ness said. “Just hand me the key and promise to stop causing trouble around town, and nobody else has to get hurt.”

The gang’s leader smirked, withdrawing a pair of thin daggers from somewhere in his suit. He casually twirled them around in his fingers, a sight which made Ness gulp in anticipation.

“Is that right? You think you can beat Fail-Proof Frank? You’ve got guts, kid… _let’s remove them, shall we?_ ”

In a red flash, he lunged for Ness and swung a knife at him. He barely managed to duck under the slash, rolling aside to put more distance between them. As he stood up he pointed at Frank with a finger.

“PSI Hypnosis: Alpha!”

His opponent shuddered but didn’t fall asleep. The technique had barely even slowed him down, and he sprang again. This time, Ness stood his ground and warded him off with a close swing of his bat. Frank backpedaled, snarling at him.

“He can resist Hypnosis? Troubling…” Buzz Buzz said into his ear.

“Can’t you give me that shield thing again?” Ness replied, desperately trying to avoid the next swipe.

“PSI Shield only affects other PSI abilities. It’s useless against these physical strikes.”

With that cheering thought in mind, he kicked one of his feet out and hit Frank hard in the knee as he was preparing another attack. The Shark boss growled and swung a knife back, this time landing a blow. Ness scampered away from him, sporting a cut on his upper arm. He wasn’t losing a serious amount of blood, but it stung badly in the open air.

Frank wasn’t uninjured either, as he was now limping on his good leg. He was gripping his knives so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Letting out a hyena-like cackle, he threw one of them straight at Ness.

“Whoa!”

He stepped aside just in time for it to sail past and embed itself in the wooden fence surrounding the yard. With his enemy less armed now, he ran toward Frank again and raised his bat Ness’s charge was interrupted when a firm kick to his stomach caused him to stop dead in his tracks, which might have been literal due to the following slash with the second knife. He stumbled back and managed to escape death by inches, though the outer skin of his chest had sustained a cut.

Doing his best to ignore the pain, he continued to rush Frank and finally succeeded in hitting him with his bat. His sunglasses were sent flying off from the direct blow to his head, exposing his pale brown eyes. Ness didn’t let up, taking another swing at his stomach.

“Argh! Enough!”

His enemy retreated behind the bushes, whereupon a strange mechanical puffing sound could be heard.

“Fail-Proof Frank can’t be beaten! Say hello to ‘Frankystein Mark II!’”

Nothing could have prepared Ness for what rolled into view. It was a robot covered in bronze-colored plate armor, from the tank-like treads at its bottom to the humanoid body making up its top half. Frank could be seen through a black glass window on the robot’s midsection, attached to which were a pair of thick metal arms ending in white, gloved fists. Its head resembled his face, perplexingly.

Frankystein threw a punch at Ness, moving faster than its bulky design suggested. He was caught directly in the chest, making his cut sting even worse on top of throwing him to the ground.

“PSI Lifeup: Alpha…”

His wounds were repaired and the bleeding stopped, but he was exhausted by then. The tank emitted a short burst of steam from a tailpipe on its treads before rolling at him again.

“It must have to recharge between movements,” Buzz Buzz commented. “Perhaps you can use that to your advantage.”

Ness got back up just in time to avoid Frankystein smashing its fists on the ground where he’d been. He struck its arm with his bat, only for the shock of the impact to spread into his own arms. Its torso spun around to punch him again, but in doing so it exposed the glass viewport Frank saw through. Ness took one carefully-timed swing and shattered it, distracting the driver as he covered his face from the shards flying inwards.

“Time to finish this up!”

He hurried to the other side of the robot and bashed its head as hard as he could, completely detaching it from the body. It sailed off into the bushes, out of sight. Its main power source must have been inside, because the rest of Frankystein sagged and stopped moving. Frank climbed out through a hatch on the back, rubbing his forehead.

“Ugh… what happened…?”

He had a different look in his eyes, now confused and dazed. It was just like with the wild animals Ness had fought the night before; he’d literally beaten sense into Frank. The Shark boss looked down at him with a grin, appearing to remember what had occurred.

“You’re good, kid. Real good. You’ve turned me into ‘Failure Frank’ now. Hell, you even destroyed Frankystein Mark II. It was made of the best tin foil and wood we could get our hands on.”

Ignoring the question of how the Sharks had built a robot out of _that_ , Ness got back to business.

“Can I have the key to that shack now? Also, will you stop causing trouble around here?”

Frank chuckled, digging inside his suit pockets.

“You sure can, and we sure will. The Sharks were never meant to be criminals, you know. I just rounded up all the lost kids in town and gave ‘em a family, that’s all.”

He retrieved a silver key and presented it to Ness. His expression had become one of concern.

“One day, though… this voice in my head started tellin’ me to do things differently. Cause trouble, spread fear, all that. It mentioned your name too, saying ‘Ness cannot get to Giant Step.’ I’m sure you know more about it than I do, so I’ll leave that whole business to you.”

Ness took the key from him with a nod, walking back toward the arcade’s door.

“You’ve become stronger than I, kid!” Frank called. “I’m sure you can handle whatever gets thrown your way.”

Feeling comforted by the encouragement (even if it had come from the last place he’d expected), he walked through the building again and onto the streets.

“Fantastic job, Ness,” said Buzz Buzz. “You pulled off an incredible victory back there. How do you feel?”

“Pretty tired, but we have the key now. Let’s go see what Giant Step has to offer.”

With their first hurdle overcome, the two set off toward the Sanctuary north of town.


	6. One Giant Step for Ness

**Chapter 6: One Giant Step for Ness**

Key in hand, Ness walked all the way back to the locked shack north of town. No other Sharks tried to mess with him, presumably having learned of their boss’s defeat. He lacked a watch, but if he had to guess it was still mid-afternoon. Just a few hours in on the first day of his adventure, and one of the eight Sanctuaries was already in his reach! Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

He unlocked the door and stepped into the small wooden building. It was a wreck in there; nearly every surface was caked in dirt and dust, and parts of broken furniture littered the floor. The Sharks must have run wild before he arrived. Only one aspect of the shack was of any real importance: a large hole in the back wall, leading outside behind the fence. Ness walked through it and found himself in front of the entrance to a cave. He recalled being there once for a school trip, and he knew that there was a path up to the top of the hill.

“Well, here we go,” he told Buzz Buzz. “Giant Step is right this way.”

The insect on his shoulder was silent, however. His wings twitched as Ness entered the cave, which turned out to be darker than expected.

“Ugh, I can barely see in here. Is there some PSI move that improves my eyesight?”

It was then that he remembered packing a flashlight. He dug it out of his backpack and turned it on, finally able to get a look at his surroundings. The interior of the cave was mostly hollow, as instead of having to navigate cramped tunnels there were small cliffs to scale. Rocky spires protruded from the ground and ceiling in various spots, though luckily none of them were positioned in areas where he could potentially fall and impale himself.

Shaking off that unsettling image, Ness climbed onto one of the ledges by way of a rope tied to the top of it. He didn’t know who had left it there, but he decided not to question the convenient help. Everything was quiet, perhaps too quiet for his liking. The still, dusty air made his skin crawl as he continued onward.

“Something’s wrong,” Buzz Buzz said at last. He’d been silent the entire time, but was now fidgeting around on his shoulder.

“What is it?”

“I can sense the energy radiating from Giant Step above us,” he elaborated, “but there’s another presence here… something dangerous. Be cautious, we may not be alone.”

As if on cue, Ness felt something scuttle past his feet. He yelped and pointed the flashlight downwards to reveal a brown-furred mouse the size of his hand staring up at him in the darkness. It didn’t seem scared by his light but rather irritated, taking slow paces toward him while baring its sharp teeth.

(Kill. Kill. Kill.)

The soft voice echoed in his head like King’s had, but this one had a slight growl to it. He made eye contact with the mouse and saw the same feral instinct as the wild animals from last night.

“Giygas is manipulating it!” Buzz Buzz cried. “Be on guard-“

Ness interrupted him by simply kicking his foot out. The rodent sailed off into the darkness of the cave and didn’t come after him again- evil or not, it _was_ just a mouse. His insectoid companion made an odd sound as if he were clearing his equivalent of a throat.

“Ah… I see, you have this under control. Very well, let us carry on.”

The rest of the cave’s inhabitants put up even less of a fight. More mice tried to attack him with similar failures, and he almost laughed when a group of ants and slugs very slowly advanced toward him. Their most threatening aspect was the repeated “kill” he could hear in their minds. Ness didn’t bother attacking them, instead just moving ahead to climb another rope to a higher ledge.

He could see sunlight streaming in just ahead of him, and he knew that Giant Step was mere yards away. Ness took a step forward, only for Buzz Buzz to cry out in alarm.

“Wait! Look around you!”

His eyes widened as he shone the flashlight across the walls. Giant black ants, the size of rodents, were _everywhere_ , positioning themselves to surround him. What had to be several thousand of them were collecting into a large mound and blocking his way back down the rope.

“The presence… it is closer…”

Something was moving near the exit of the cave, hidden just beyond the reach of the sunlight. It pulled itself upright, becoming a towering figure almost six feet tall. Ness shone his light onto it and nearly fainted at the sight.

It was an ant- an _enormous_ gray ant standing on its back two legs. The other four were folded in front of it like human arms, each ending in a set of razor-sharp talons. The bug had a misshapen, rather lumpy head and a pair of piercing white eyes. It clicked its mandibles, and for a moment Ness swore it was smirking.

“So, you’ve made it here after all.”

His eyes almost bulged out of his head. That wasn’t telepathy like he’d used with King or the animals in the cave; the ant was _speaking_ to him.

“This is the first of your Sanctuaries, no? Our predictions were accurate, then. Master Giygas has granted me the honor of ending your little adventure right at its beginning, you see, and I fully intend to do so.”

“W-what is this thing?” Ness stammered, clutching his bat.

“I… I don’t know…” came Buzz Buzz’s worried reply. “It must be a mutated local creature, if I had to guess.”

The ant swiveled its gaze over to him with a cackling laugh.

“And you’ve brought our escapee as well. Starman Junior may have failed to kill you, but I- Titanic Ant- will not make the same mistake. Prepare yourselves!”

Ness kept his bat raised but really wasn’t sure what to do against something this size. Titanic Ant stomped toward him with its claws outstretched, preparing to swipe down. He gave a frightened cry and swung his bat, only for the monstrous bug to catch it and yank the weapon out of his hands.

“Such a primitive tool! Is this really how you managed to get so far?”

Now unarmed, he edged away from his enemy and tried to come up with a plan. Titanic Ant lunged for him and slashed with its claws, catching the boy in the side. He was thrown across the ledge, landing in a heap on the ground.

“Ugh…”

Frank’s knives were nothing compared to the slashes he’d sustained from that one attack. Ness staggered back up and almost screamed as he felt a wave of pain shoot through him.

_“How did it make such a deep cut?!”_

Titanic Ant wasn’t attacking again, seemingly content on just watching him struggle. It gave a deep laugh upon seeing his bloody wounds.

“That must not feel good. Personally, I’m very much enjoying this! It’s like I’m ruining someone’s picnic… only, you know, _lethally_.”

Ness hurriedly used PSI Lifeup to heal his injury, thankful that some of his psychic energy had recovered on the way through the cave.

“I don’t know what to do, Buzz Buzz…”

There was no reply. The insect was gone from his shoulder, nowhere to be seen. To make matters worse, his enemy had grown bored of waiting and thrown his bat back at him. Ness was struck in the head, stumbling onto one knee with stars in his eyes. His weapon rolled at his feet, but he was so dazed he couldn’t quite manage to pick it up.

“Oh my, you look to be in bad shape,” Titanic Ant commented. “Are you nearing your limit? I promise to make it quick when I strip the flesh away from your- gah!”

It lurched forward, having been hit from behind by a hard blow. Buzz Buzz was flitting around in front of the monster, smashing into its armored exoskeleton as hard as he could. The insect dodged multiple strikes from its claws in quick succession.

“Giygas cannot prevail! We won’t let you destroy this world!”

With his foe distracted, Ness finally managed to clear his senses and pick up the bat. He rushed Titanic Ant from the right, jumping into the air to smash at its head. The bug growled angrily and delivered a punch to his stomach, knocking him down yet again (though he was thankful not to have been slashed this time).

“Ness! Be courageous, you can’t fail here!” Buzz Buzz shouted. “Tap into your PSI and unleash everything you-“

He was cut off when Titanic Ant scored a blow on him. The insect gave a strangled gasp and plummeted to the ground, missing a wing and a good portion of his back.

“No!”

Buzz Buzz feebly twitched and struggled on the rocky floor, wheezing in agony. Ness rushed to his side, but didn’t make it there before Titanic Ant swept his downed friend away with one of its feet. Two clawed hands clamped down on his shoulders, holding him in place before the monster.

“Ah-ah-ah, no distractions,” it taunted. “Look on the bright side, if he dies quickly he won’t have to witness _your_ fate. You put up an impressive fight, but just weren’t good enough. Sorry, kid.”

A low growl rumbled through Ness’s throat. He looked up at his enemy and felt his composure slip. PSI energy charged across his body as he began to tremble with anger, giving him a burning sensation in his arms and hands. He didn’t care, though. Nothing mattered to him, not while Buzz Buzz was so critically injured.

“I’m… going to _crush_ you…” he snarled.

Titanic Ant’s smug expression faltered, and within seconds it gave a pained cry and let go of him. Its eyes widened as it looked at the smoke coming off its claws.

“You- how did you-“

Empowered by rage, Ness grabbed his bat off the ground and smashed it with force he didn’t think was possible against the ant’s nearest arm. The appendage snapped off altogether with a light spray of greenish blood, and its owner howled in pain.

“Wretched creature! Die!” it shouted, swiping down at him again. Its attack was intercepted by a second swing, and the blocked arm hung limply at Titanic Ant’s side.

By now the monster was beginning to panic, stepping away from Ness with its eyes narrowed. He slowly walked toward it, his bat dragging along the floor. Purple-tinted energy flared around him like bolts of electricity, completely vaporizing any of the smaller ants that happened to be in its path. They scattered in all directions, leaving their leader behind.

“How are you doing this?!” Titanic Ant hissed.

He didn’t know, and he didn’t care. The cold flash he’d felt when he learned Lifeup and Hypnosis returned, and his voice whispered in his head just like it had then. Ness, acting somewhat on impulse (he didn’t know what this new technique did), stretched a hand out toward his enemy and shouted at the top of his lungs.

_“PK ROCKIN’: ALPHA!”_

The energy swirling around him condensed and exploded in a flash of multicolored light, completely enveloping Titanic Ant. It shrieked in pain as the overwhelming attack tore apart its exoskeleton and exposed innards. By the time the energy cleared away, only a small pile of ash remained of the monstrous bug.

Ness put his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. That move had taken so much of his stamina he was surprised he hadn’t just passed out right then and there. All of the remaining ants had fled, leaving the cave silent except for a faint buzzing sound nearby. His eyes shot wide open, remembering his injured friend.

“Buzz Buzz! Where are you?!”

A very faint voice replied to his left.

“Urgh… over here…”

Ness dashed to him and knelt down beside the bug. His wounds were more extensive than he’d realized at first, as almost the entire rear half of his body had been sliced off.

“I was… agh… much weaker than I expected…”

“H-hold on! I’ll take care of you… PSI Lifeup: Alpha!”

Nothing happened. His heart sank, but he tried again. There was still no response, not even a tickle of energy running through his hands. He’d run out of psychic power.

“No… _no_ …”

“Ness,” the insect coughed, “I hate to say it, but you’ll have to continue on your own from here… reach the Sanctuary, then continue in your search for the others.”

“I-I can’t!” he pleaded, cradling Buzz Buzz in his hands. “You can’t leave me, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next!”

“You're... one of the chosen humans, are you not? The path forwards should reveal itself to you over time. Just… remember to keep your courage, and I know you will succeed in the end.”

Ness was trembling.

“You can’t die… you can’t…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Buzz Buzz said. “This was an inevitability. To channel your power through each of the Sanctuaries, you will need the Sound Stone. It is an awesome item, capable of absorbing their energy. I… can transform myself into it, and had intended to from the start. Though I will lose the ability to communicate with you, know that I’ll always be here in spirit. Farewell, hero of the Earth…”

Before Ness could say anything else, Buzz Buzz shone a bright gold and began to morph. His body shrank in size, his exoskeleton dissolving until only a flat, ovular stone colored like honey remained. It sat in his palm, motionless, without a trace of the brave time-traveling insect left behind.

Feeling astoundingly hopeless despite the victory against Titanic Ant, he trudged out the exit to the cave and stood before his first Sanctuary. The sun was much lower in the sky now, slowly beginning to set as if closing off the first day of his quest. If he was supposed to feel proud, he didn’t.

Ness looked down at the massive footprint in the dirt, big enough to fit a person lengthwise. He held the Sound Stone over Giant Step and felt a wave of energy flood over him. Somewhere in his head, the distinct image of a small, cute puppy- a younger King- passed through his memory. A short fragment of music hummed through the air, and the magical stone glowed in response to the Sanctuary.

Then, peace. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound. Nothing disturbed the environment at all. Ness, still exhausted, sat down under a tree at the hilltop and looked over Onett far below. This was only the first of eight, and he’d lost his most valuable ally yet… could he really go through with this?

_“It’s what Buzz Buzz wanted me to do… I have to try.”_

That was his last thought before passing out, lost to the world.

**End of Part One**


	7. The Stranger's Call

**Part Two: New Places, New Faces**

**Chapter 7: The Stranger’s Call**

_“…hello?”_

Ness gasped and opened his eyes… well, he thought he did. Everything around him was still pitch black, and he felt cold. He was floating in midair with no visible floor below or ceiling above. The only other thing in that void was the voice which had just called out to him. It was a girl’s, one that he didn’t recognize. She sounded confused and a bit apprehensive.

 _“Uh… hello?”_ he echoed, wondering if she could hear him. His voice had a distinct hum to it, like it was reverberating in the air.

_“Oh, finally! I’m glad I got through to you. Is your name Ness?”_

Many questions ran through his head, the biggest one of which was if this was really happening. Had the Sanctuary caused him to start hallucinating? Or was this another part of his mission?

_“Yeah, I’m Ness… uh, are you my spirit guide or something?”_

_“What? No, don’t be silly. I’m another kid, just like you.”_

He was interested now. Maybe she was one of the “chosen ones” Buzz Buzz had mentioned.

Buzz Buzz… thinking of him caused Ness’s heart to throb. He was gone, leaving a confused boy in his wake. There was nothing to indicate his next course of action against Giygas, and he’d nearly gotten killed at the first hurdle PSI or not, he was beginning to feel like he had no chance.

No… he couldn’t give in to despair. He had to continue on his mission and save the world, like the time-traveler had wanted. Bringing his attention back to the present, he responded again.

_“Just like me, huh? Do you have PSI abilities too?”_

_“Is that what this is called?”_ she asked. _“I never got a clear answer on that… anyway, I guess I do since we can talk to each other through your dream.”_

Ness scratched his head.

 _“So I_ am _dreaming. Does that mean you aren’t real?”_

_“No, I’m as real as can be. I live in a town called Twoson… uh, I think it’s to the south of where you are. Onett, right?”_

_“Right. I just finished dealing with the local gang and killed a giant ant monster.”_

_“Whoa!”_ she gasped. _“That sounds rough. Are you okay?”_

 _“About as okay as I can be,”_ Ness sighed. _“I had someone else with me, a sort of guide to teach me about my PSI. He… didn’t make it against the monster.”_

_“Oh no… I… I’m so sorry to hear that…”_

Her horrified whisper only further reminded him of Buzz Buzz’s death. He decided to try and shift the topic.

 _“He was a good friend, even if I didn’t know him for long. How did_ you _learn about your powers?”_

 _“…promise not to laugh?”_ the girl asked. _“It might sound crazy. It wasn’t from a person like you had.”_

Ness fought back a grin.

_“Oh, not a person. He was a bug who came back in time from ten years in the future. Got here on a meteorite which landed right near my house last night. Besides, we’re talking to each other with our minds right now. It’ll take a lot for me to think you’re crazy.”_

She was quiet for a few moments.

_“Fair point. Well, I learned I have special abilities a few years ago from a… uh, she calls herself a guardian angel. Really, it’s this voice that just appeared in my head one day and began giving me advice.”_

_“You’re right, that does sound crazy.”_

_“Ness…”_ she huffed.

_“Kidding, kidding. Did she tell you to contact me?”_

_“Not directly. She said that one day I would have to save the world, and I would join a few other people to do it. One of them was a boy named Ness, so I guess I found the right one. She called him my ‘destiny.’”_

He hoped she couldn’t see him, or the light blush on his face at the wording of that.

_“Go figure. Have you heard about the Sanctuaries and Giygas?”_

_“Bits and pieces of it… I’ve been hearing from her less and less lately. There must be trouble brewing. Who’s this Giygas person?”_

It occurred to him that Buzz Buzz hadn’t said much about their enemy.

_“Uh… an alien, I think. He wants to take over the world and cover it with darkness, or something like that. I didn’t learn much specifically about him.”_

_“My angel hasn’t said a lot about him either, always just stuff like ‘he is coming for us.’ She might need our help.”_

_“That makes sense. Well, it’d be nice to have someone with me while I try to stop him. Where can I find you?”_

_“Twoson, like I said. I live in the Polestar Preschool. My family runs it.”_

He’d never been to Onett’s neighboring town, but he knew there was a trail leading there to the south.

_“Alright, I’ll get down there once I wake up. How can I find you, uh…”_

She gave an embarrassed giggle.

_“Oh! I never said my name, did I? It’s Paula. I’m sure we’ll know once we see each other. In fact, I’ll try to meet you halfway just in case. The road to Onett isn’t too far from where I live, so I’ll head there in the morning.”_

_“Good to know. See you soon, Paula.”_

_“Bye, Ness!”_ she chirped.

Her voice faded away, and after some unspecific amount of time he felt the void around him begin to disappear as well.

* * *

The first thing he noticed upon waking up was how sore his neck was. He’d fallen asleep under the tree in front of Giant Step, and his backpack had made for a lumpy, uncomfortable pillow. Ness got to his feet and stretched his limbs, the mysterious contact with Paula fresh on his mind. He had to meet up with her as soon as possible, and-

An unpleasant smell hit his nose, which he realized came from himself. Change of plans: he had to find a _shower_ as soon as possible. His torn, bloodstained clothes would probably make her uncomfortable at best, so a change of those was in order as well. It was then that he realized how hungry he was. Perfect, another distraction.

He walked back through the cave- thankfully not being interrupted by any more wild animals or horrific mutants- and onto the streets of Onett in around half an hour. The sun was just beginning to rise, so he still had some time to prepare before meeting Paula. His house was too far away to walk back to, but fortunately there was a hotel of mediocre-to-decent quality in the center of town. He could clean himself up there, and eat on the road to Twoson.

_“I should also probably call Mom and Dad…”_

Not wanting to think long enough to come up with _another_ reason to delay, he picked up the pace until he reached the hotel. As promised, his father had added $200 to his bank account, which he withdrew a small portion of from the ATM to rent a room for just one hour. The clerk at the front desk gave Ness a quizzical look at the request, but took his payment and handed him a key anyway.

Around thirty minutes later he had finished cleaning himself up, also taking the time to brush his teeth (something he appreciated now more than ever, having not done so in more hours than he wanted to admit). He spent his remaining time using the room’s phone to call his parents.

His father was first, making a record of everything Ness told him like he said he would.

“You’ve been through a lot already, and you’ve toughed it out. I’m proud of you, son. Are you gonna be okay without Buzz Buzz’s help?”

“I think so,” he replied, though not entirely convinced. “When I meet Paula, we can combine our powers to make things easier. I’m sure the two of us can succeed together.”

“That’s the spirit! You’re a hard worker, just like your mother. You’ll do anything you put your head to, so don’t give up!”

Ness cracked a smile.

“Thanks, Dad. I should call her too, so I’ll see you later.”

He hung up and dialed his home number. His mother wasn’t as confident as his father had been.

“Oh no! Do you want me to come out there and pick you up? This all sounds too dangerous for you…”

“No, don’t worry about me,” he hastily reassured her. “I’ll be fine; I’ve learned a lot about how to take care of myself now.”

“Ha ha… my little man’s growing up too fast,” she said with pride in her voice. “Just be careful, and remember you can always come home if you want a break. By the way, Tracy wants to speak to you.”

Ness grinned as the phone was passed to his sister.

“Hello?”

“Big bro! Guess what, I’m gonna help you on your adventure! I’m working part-time for Escargo Express.”

That was the last thing he’d expected to hear out of her.

“The delivery company? For real?”

“Yup! Just call me whenever you have too much stuff and I’ll send a coor-riar to you. We’ll hold onto anything you don’t need.”

He chuckled.

“That’s ‘courier,’ sis. Thanks, I’m sure you’ll be a big help sooner or later.”

“You bet! Good luck out there!”

She hung up as well, just in time for him to check out of the room and leave for Twoson. Talking to his family had raised his spirits tremendously, and he felt ready to take on the world again.

Okay, maybe the whole world was a bit of a stretch. He supposed he could start by taking on the police barricade blocking the path out of town. It wasn’t surprising to see them there- no doubt it was because someone had littered on the lawn of town hall or some other unforgivable offense- but it _was_ surprising to see the chief, Captain Strong, among the officers standing guard. His sunglasses and bushy mustache (not to mention his name) made him the definitive example of a stern, no-nonsense cop… well, aside from the meaningless roadblocks. He frowned at Ness as he approached.

“What do you want, kid? Are you lost?”

“No, sir,” he said as politely as he could. “I need to get to Twoson, please.”

“Does it seem like I’m gonna let you through?” Strong shot back. “We don’t just block the roads because we _feel_ like it. Some dastardly scum knocked over a bunch of garbage cans up by the library across town, and now we have to secure this way out in case he makes a run for it.”

Ah, now it all made sense. Obviously.

“Well, uh… it definitely wasn’t the Sharks. I convinced them to stop causing trouble, so you won’t have to worry about them again.”

Strong raised an eyebrow. Ness felt like he was piercing holes into his skull from behind his sunglasses.

“Is that right? Okay kid, and I’m also sure you wandered up to Giant Step and fought a giant bug monster. What other tall tales do you wanna give me?”

How he’d so accurately guessed what Ness had been doing was beyond him, but he got the message nonetheless. He was about to turn away from Captain Strong and find a path to sneak around when another officer rushed over to them, saluting and trying to catch his breath.

“Report from the library! The garbage cans have been put back into place, and the disturbance has been calmed.”

“Any info on the perp?” Strong asked in a gruff voice.

“Yes sir. Witnesses say it was the garbage man, coming through town as usual. No evidence of criminal motivation has been found.”

Ness would have rolled his eyes if he wasn’t so afraid of getting a lecture from the police.

“Good, another case solved. What other news do you have, officer?”

“Lier X. Agerate, the hermit north of town, claims to have had something valuable stolen from him. He wouldn’t tell me what it is, just that it was of great importance.”

He perked up at the report. Had someone stolen that golden statue? It looked like it could sell for a fortune, so he guessed it made sense.

“Well then!” Captain Strong announced. “Let’s get moving, boys! We have a crime on our hands! That’s a crime to _solve_ on our hands, we aren’t the perps here.”

And so, paying no further attention to Ness, they all packed into the two squad cars they had nearby and sped off, sirens blasting. The path to Twoson was now clear, and he had barely needed to say a word. Still processing the bizarre chain of events that just occurred, Ness shrugged and began the walk down the trail.


	8. Investigation of Twoson

**Chapter 8: Investigation of Twoson**

Ness had battled many things on his short journey. He’d contended with wild animals, a killer alien robot, a gang and _their_ killer robot, _more_ wild animals, and an ant three heads taller than him. Despite all that, he still managed to be surprised when he found himself fighting off mushrooms and sprouts that had morphed their roots into feet the moment he walked past.

It wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. The green sprouts were easy enough to deal with, generally requiring little more than a good smash with the bat before they stopped moving. Their only major tactic was spreading seeds around them to rapidly grow more of themselves, but even then they hardly put up a fight. The red and white-spotted mushrooms put up more of a fight, throwing spores at him which latched onto his shirt and grew into clingy fungi which took quite a bit of force to remove. He didn’t want to think of what could happen if one of those attached to his skin. Ness whacked away at the mushrooms as fast as he could whenever one ran toward him.

It occurred to him at some point that Paula was nowhere to be seen. In fact, he was alone on the trail save for the hostile vegetation. Hadn’t she said she would meet him there? She didn’t sound like she’d been lying, but he couldn’t see anyone else nearby.

The path to Twoson was rather short, and soon enough he found himself standing at the entrance to the town. Given how close it was to Onett, he wondered why they were even considered separate. Ness brushed off the idea and began to navigate the streets, looking for the preschool. It _was_ still early in the morning, perhaps Paula just hadn’t left home yet.

He kept his eyes peeled for the word “Polestar,” but found it hard not to be distracted by the buildings around him. They were much larger than Onett’s small shops and houses, the highlight for him being a department store spanning multiple stories. There was also a hospital, as well as a pizza parlor which reminded him of how he hadn’t eaten yet. Digging out one of Tracy’s messily-wrapped cheese sandwiches, Ness scarfed it down as he kept exploring.

No sign of the preschool yet, but he did notice a red brick building with a long line of people waiting outside. Closer examination revealed it was a theater currently playing host to a jazz band called the Runaway Five. Based on the agitated groans of the people at the front of the line, the tickets must have been sold out.

“I’m tellin’ ya, we’re stuck for good this time.”

Ness heard the grumble as he walked past the theater to continue his search. He impulsively looked toward the source and noticed two men standing around the corner of it, next to a black tour bus with “RUNAWAY” printed in white letters on the side. Each were dressed in a suit, the taller, leaner, mustached one in green and the shorter, stockier one in red. They must have been part of the band.

“We must be cursed to take on bad contracts,” Red muttered as Ness listened in.

“You kidding? It’s probably ‘cause we keep our shades on indoors, so we can’t read what they say. Serves us right for lookin’ so cool, huh?” sighed Green. Upon closer inspection, they were in fact both wearing dark sunglasses.

“Hey kid, you need somethin’?”

He yelped at the personal address. Both of them were staring at him, having realized he’d been listening to their plight. They didn’t seem angry, just confused.

“Uh, n-no, I’m fine.”

Red grinned and beckoned him over.

“C’mon, we don’t bite. Whatcha need, an autograph? Lucky and I would be more than happy to sign that cap of yours.”

“Maybe later, right now I’m looking for someone,” he responded. “Do you know where the Polestar Preschool is?”

Lucky, the green-suited one, spoke up faster than he’d anticipated.

“Ah, I getcha! You’re lookin’ for Paula, yeah?”

He blinked.

“Yeah, uh… how did you know?”

“She’s the talk of the town, kid. Even more famous than we are, right Gorgeous?”

“She sure is,” the red-suited one commented. “Probably richer than us, too. We’re great musicians but lousy at contracts, so we’re gettin’ ripped off by this theater.”

Against his better judgement, Ness made them an offer.

“Can I, uh, help you somehow?”

Gorgeous let out a soft chuckle.

“Real generous of ya, kid, but unless you’ve got around ten-thousand dollars handy I don’t think so.”

“Tell you what!” Lucky cut in. “If you’re lookin’ for Paula, could you bring her here to see us when you find her? I wouldn’t mind meetin’ the star of the town. The preschool’s down the road and to the left, so you can’t miss it.”

Ness gave them a grateful nod and continued walking, following the road as it turned south. His attention landed on some kind of flea market set up in a park in the center of Twoson. “Burglin Park…” perhaps he could check around there later, once he’d joined up with Paula.

Just like Lucky had said, the Polestar Preschool was around a left turn in the road near the park. Painted white with a green-tiled roof and a sign identifying itself, the long building stuck out from the buildings around it. Feeling excited but also a little nervous about getting to meet Paula, Ness walked up to the door and gave it a knock. It was answered by a kind-looking woman with long blonde hair and soft blue eyes. She smiled warmly at him.

“Hello there, can I help you?”

He cleared his throat, realizing that he had no idea what to say. Somehow he imagined that telling her- Paula’s mother, he assumed- about the psychic conversation they’d shared wouldn’t work.

“Hi. Is, uh, Paula home?”

“That had better not be another TV crew!” an irritated male voice yelled from somewhere inside.”

“It’s not!” the woman called back. She leaned down a bit and whispered to him. “You’re not, are you? Lately we’ve had a lot of reporters come by, hoping to interview my daughter.”

“N-no, ma’am. My name is Ness.”

Her eyes widened, and she opened the door further.

“Oh! So _you’re_ Ness! Please, come inside.”

He wiped his feet on the mat before stepping in, not wanting to make a bad impression. Several laughing children ran past, clutching various small toys in their fists. The interior of the house was very orderly given how many kids were there: the floor was clean, there were no stains on the walls or carpet, and nobody could be heard crying. He faintly recalled staying at a similar, much more chaotic day-care back in Onett years back and wondered what this family’s secret was.

“Paula’s been talking about you for a while now. How do you two know each other?”

He didn’t realize what he was about to say until he absentmindedly blurted it out.

“We don’t know each other really, she just started talking to me in my sleep… last… night…”

His voice trailed off too late, and he felt his face heat up at the bemused expression Paula’s mother was giving him. That _had_ to sound crazy to her.

“Really? Well, that makes sense to me.”

“I-it does?”

She laughed.

“Of course! She has certain… talents, unlike anyone else’s. Lately she’s been telling us about a boy named Ness that she has to meet. We’re not sure how she knows what she does, but she’s never been wrong before. You must be an important young man.”

Ness scratched the back of his head.

“I guess you could say that. Is she here?”

They reached the foot of a staircase. Her mother cupped a hand around her mouth and called out.

“Paula! Come downstairs, Ness is here to meet you!”

His heartbeat had increased quite a bit, he noticed. Something about this made him feel like they’d been arranged for a date, and his face threatened to flush again. He kept his hands behind his back as they awaited her.

Strangely, there was no response. Her mother called a second time, once again to no avail. A sinking feeling began to weigh on Ness; she hadn’t met him on the trail as promised and now she didn’t seem to be home.

“Ah… please wait a moment, I’ll go see what she’s doing.”

Paula’s mother walked upstairs and disappeared around a corner. Hurried footsteps could be heard a moment later before she returned, a troubled expression on her face.

“She’s not here. She didn’t tell me she was going out. Honey, have you seen Paula?”

A tall, short-haired blond man peered at them from behind a door with a frown.

“She left early this morning to meet someone. I think she was headed for the trail to Onett.”

“I came from that way!” Ness cut in, the apprehension worsening. “I didn’t see her anywhere, so I thought she’d be here.”

Her parents shared uneasy looks.

“It’s not like her to just disappear,” her mother said. “Something must have happened to her!”

Paula’s much less composed father looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

“S-s-she’s been kidnapped! It has to be that guy in Burglin Park, nobody else would do this!”

“I’ll go find her,” Ness declared. “Stay here in case she comes back.”

“Are you sure?” asked her mother. “We’d appreciate the help, but it can be a dangerous place. I hear Everdred is a notorious criminal.”

He gave her a thumbs-up.

“I’m sure. I’ve got a few special talents too, just like Paula. If I find her I’ll take her straight back here.”

They both thanked him as he walked out, exiting onto the streets of Twoson again. Burglin Park wasn’t far up the road, and it only took Ness a few minutes to walk there. From the outside it seemed peaceful enough; the vendors at the various stands merrily doing business with passersby (including one strange hippie-looking man who was advertising “miracle condiments”) didn’t give off a threatening air. However, if he’d learned anything on his adventure it was not to take things at face value. Gripping his bat, he proceeded along the path through the park.

He didn’t need to have felt so worried, as nobody made any sudden motions to attack him. Some of the people even gave him a friendly greeting as he passed by. It wasn’t until he reached the deepest spot- a tiny house with faded yellow paint and a red roof- that something out of the ordinary happened. A portly man wearing round sunglasses, a yellow and red flowered shirt, and a small black bowler hat the same shade as his dreadlocked hair and handlebar mustache shouted at him from the roof.

“Ho ho! Nobody just comes up to my house for no reason. You must be lookin’ for me. Well, how ‘bout we chat later… after we’ve locked horns!”

Before Ness could say anything, he took a leap from the roof with a fist outstretched. Stepping back in time to avoid the man’s swing, he raised his bat for a counterattack once he landed. There was no need, though, as his would-be opponent twisted his ankle and was forced into an awkward crouch, chuckling softly.

“Heh… heh heh… I guess not, then. Not in fightin’ shape right now, anyway… what’s your name, kid?”

He was beginning to get tired of people calling him that, even if it was true. The destined hero of the world shouldn’t be known as “kid,” he thought.

“I’m Ness. Are you Everdred?”

The man nodded with a wry grin. He pointed his bat in his direction as if it were a sword.

“I’m looking for someone named Paula. She’s gone missing, and her parents think you took her. Where is she?”

Everdred was massaging his ankle.

“I’m no law-abiding citizen, but I never kidnapped anyone. I _may_ have some info about your missing girl, though. I was up early this morning, and I heard a scuffle near the edge of town. There was a girl’s voice, she sounded like she needed help. When I looked out the window to see what was happening, the most I could catch was someone bein’ dragged off by some chubby guy and a weirdo in a blue suit.”

The word “chubby” brought Pokey to mind, but if Ness knew anything about his parents, they wouldn’t let him or his brother leave the house for at least a week after sneaking out the other night. Besides, as annoying as he was he didn’t seem the criminal type.

“Any idea who it could’ve been?”

Everdred stroked his chin, humming.

“If I had to guess, it was probably those Happy Happyists from across the way. I think I heard one of ‘em talking about a sacrifice, very weird stuff if you ask me.”

Ness felt a chill run through him. Paula was in danger! Whoever these Happy Happyists were, he had to put a stop to their schemes.

“Which way do I go to find them?”

“Just past the bus station. There’s a tunnel leading to Peaceful Rest Valley, and beyond that is Happy Happy Village. The people have some hokey religion, and lately anyone who tries to go there isn’t seen again. You’d best be careful if you’re looking to head out that way.”

“I will, thanks.”

Ness left his house and took off running down the sidewalk, passing by the preschool toward the tunnel. All he could think of was Paula’s impending sacrifice at the hands of these mysterious new enemies, the Happy Happyists. The idea made him fume; Buzz Buzz had died when he should have been able to prevent it. He wasn’t about to let the same fate befall anyone else.


End file.
